Del. Robbie Martin

Maddy summaryHB 5517 requires West Virginia's Office of Insurance Commissioner to create and maintain centralized, geographically specific lists of licensed bail bondsmen for each county and detention facility. The bill mandates that these lists - showing only bondsmen operating within 50 miles of the facility - be posted prominently in jails and police stations, with detainees given immediate access to select a bondsman from the list. It also establishes a statewide master list containing all licensed bondsmen's details, which facilities must provide upon request. The legislation grants the Insurance Commissioner exclusive authority to manage these lists, replacing local efforts, and ensures detainees can contact any licensed bondsman statewide.

Maddy summaryHB 5520, the Foreign Adversary and Terrorist Agent Registration and Transnational Repression Act, requires lobbyists representing foreign adversaries (such as PRC-affiliated military companies) to disclose this relationship during West Virginia's lobbying registration process. The bill mandates that lobbyists provide specific details about their principals and include an affirmative acknowledgment if they are lobbying on behalf of a foreign adversary. It creates new registration requirements, penalties for non-compliance, and duties for the Attorney General regarding record retention and oversight. This bill directly affects lobbyists and their principals who engage in lobbying activities on behalf of foreign adversaries or terrorist agents within West Virginia.

Maddy summaryHB 5506 prohibits lobbyists from receiving payment for lobbying West Virginia state officials on behalf of "foreign adversaries" as defined by the bill. It directly affects lobbyists working for governments or entities designated as hostile to the U.S. or West Virginia, including specific countries like China (excluding Taiwan), Russia, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, and others listed in the bill. Key provisions require lobbyists to self-identify if representing such entities, establish civil penalties for violations, and allow authorities to seek disgorgement of funds or injunctive relief. The bill defines "foreign adversaries" broadly to include governments aligned with communist or totalitarian ideologies, state sponsors of terrorism, or entities under their control, with annual updates to the list by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Maddy summaryHB 4725 clarifies West Virginia's animal cruelty law by specifying that courts may return an animal to its owner after a dismissed case, provided conditions protect the animal, or order euthanasia if a vet recommends it. It also establishes clear duration for possession bans: 5 years to life for misdemeanor convictions and 15 years to life for felony convictions. These provisions directly affect courts handling cruelty cases, convicted individuals, and animal shelters managing seized animals. The bill ensures consistent guidelines for animal disposition and ownership restrictions without altering existing penalties for cruelty offenses.

Maddy summaryHB 4003 creates the WV First Small Business Growth Act, offering tax credits to investors who fund certified "growth funds" that invest in eligible West Virginia small businesses. The program, administered by the West Virginia Department of Commerce, provides a 15% annual tax credit (after the first two years) against insurance premium taxes for qualified investments. To qualify, growth funds must use 100% of investment proceeds within three years to make "qualified investments" in businesses with fewer than 250 employees operating primarily in West Virginia. This directly affects growth investors (who receive tax credits), growth funds (which must be certified), and eligible small businesses receiving capital.

Maddy summaryHB 4695 doubles criminal penalties for specific offenses against minors in West Virginia. It increases maximum prison terms and fines for sexual assault in the third degree (from 5 to 10 years/ $10,000 to $20,000), sexual abuse in the third degree (from 3 to 5 years/ $500 to $1,000), child neglect resulting in death (from 15 to 40 years/ $5,000 to $10,000), and sexual abuse by parents/guardians (from 20 to 40 years/ $5,000 to $10,000). The bill directly affects individuals convicted of these crimes against minors under 16 years old or in positions of trust over children. These changes amend sections §61-8B-5, §61-8B-9, §61-8D-4a, and §61-8D-5 of West Virginia law.

Maddy summaryHB 5456 would amend West Virginia law to ensure West Virginia State Troopers permanently disabled in the line of duty receive disability pay that increases annually with the same raises they would have earned through seniority. Currently, their disability pay is calculated as 8.5% of a fixed salary amount (with a $15,000 annual minimum), but this bill would adjust that amount each year to reflect the trooper's potential future salary increases had they remained on active duty. This change directly affects troopers who become permanently and totally disabled while performing duty-related duties, ensuring their disability compensation grows alongside regular pay adjustments for active officers. The bill does not alter the base calculation method but mandates automatic annual adjustments based on seniority-based pay increases.

Maddy summaryHB 4518 (2026) requires the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to automatically update the Parkways Authority whenever a driver using the single fee discount plan (EZ-Pass) changes their vehicle information during a plate transfer. This bill amends existing code sections to mandate this coordination between the DMV and Parkways Authority, directly affecting EZ-Pass users who transfer plates between vehicles. The key provision eliminates the need for manual updates by requiring the DMV to provide real-time vehicle information changes to the Parkways Authority. This streamlines the process for drivers, ensuring their EZ-Pass account remains accurate without additional steps when updating vehicle details. The bill focuses on improving administrative efficiency between two state agencies.

Maddy summaryHB 4932 amends West Virginia law to allow accounting corporations to use "A.C." as a name ending instead of writing out "accounting corporation." This directly affects accounting corporations formed under West Virginia law, permitting them to use the abbreviation "A.C." in their official names. The bill specifically adds "A.C." to the list of acceptable name endings, replacing the current requirement to include the full phrase. This is a technical naming change with no impact on business operations or regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 5423 would change West Virginia's voting and driver's license requirements to restrict undocumented immigrants. It removes certain identification documents (like out-of-state licenses) from being valid for voting, requiring instead that voters present state-issued IDs with photos or specific federal/military documents. The bill also mandates a special-colored driver's license for documented non-citizens and prohibits the state from recognizing out-of-state licenses issued to undocumented immigrants. These changes directly affect undocumented immigrants in West Virginia who currently use non-compliant IDs for voting or driving.